Steps from the Green Line
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Boston
Self-compassion is a powerful tool when your mental health is struggling, when you’re finding it hard to adapt to life transitions, or when you are at your limit due to stress.
The first person you should always be kind to is yourself. Care for your well-being and everything else will either fall into place or improve so that other therapies, treatments, and methods can work that much better.
Managing one’s well-being and emotional stress alone is not always easy. That’s why we offer mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) here at Back Bay Mental Health.
We can help young adults who are unable to manage their stress and anxiety living alone for the first time and trying to keep up with the demands of their education. We can help those with families having negative thought patterns or who are experiencing symptoms of depression. With us, you’ll utilize mindfulness in a trained professional setting and have access to a wider mental health treatment plan right here in Boston, MA.
What is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)?
Zindel Segal, John Teasdale, and Mark Williams created mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. It is essentially a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) therapy.
Combining both therapies aims to help patients benefit from mindfulness skills alongside the thought pattern recognition and control that CBT works to help them gain.
Together, those two therapies create a powerful treatment option for those with anxiety disorders and depression.
What Conditions Can Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Help With?
This mindful approach to cognitive behavioral therapy can be just what you need if you have the following:
Depression
Adding mindfulness practices to cognitive behavioral therapy can help those experiencing major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and even those who experience depression as a symptom of another condition, including chronic medical conditions.
Chronic pain, for example, can be devastating. Young adults living with chronic pain and trying to complete their education or progress in their careers have to deal with the pain, the stress of school or working life, and the challenges that come with managing the physical sensations of their medical condition. With all this piled up, many may start to develop depressive symptoms that can’t just be helped with cognitive therapy sessions alone. That’s where mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MCBT) comes into play.
With MCBT, you essentially add mindfulness meditation and other mindfulness training to help you calm yourself instead of falling into a depressive episode or anxiety attack. By reaching a calm and self-compassionate state, you can ease at least certain symptoms of your mental health.
Anxiety Disorders
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) can help those with anxiety (general, social, phobias, etc) learn how to self-soothe and ease their anxiety attacks. Mindfulness meditation can help you calm down when an attack occurs. Combine that calmness and self-compassion with the skills you learned during cognitive therapy, and you can work yourself back from the negative thoughts.
Bipolar Disorder
Those with bipolar disorder experience mood swings between mania and depression. Adding mindfulness to your cognitive behavioral therapy approach can help you ease the extreme depression symptoms you may experience.
Who Qualifies for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Massachusetts?
Mindfulness cognitive behavioral therapy is just one of the types of therapies that we offer to our clients. If you experience symptoms of:
- Low mood
- Detachment
- Out-of-body sensations
- Insomnia or poor-quality sleep
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Extreme mood swings
Then, we may recommend this mindfulness approach for CBT. We may offer this right away or may offer it later on if other treatments don’t seem to be working for you. You can also often request this type of therapy if you have already been recommended CBT since the primary difference between MCBT and CBT is that it adds more of a holistic approach to your treatment.
The good news is you don’t have to have the answers. We evaluate every new patient at our practice in Boston. We will use your medical history, treatment history, personal testimony, and preferences to diagnose your condition and build a custom treatment plan.
What Does Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Include?
So, what does this holistic approach to clinical psychology include? While the exact approach will be different based on you, the ultimate goal is to help you learn how to ground yourself in the present moment, reduce anxiety and stress, and reach a calmer state so that you can solve problems instead of feeling overwhelmed by them.
It can be easy to suddenly feel overwhelmed by mounting work deadlines, exam dates, social commitments, internships, or personal projects. Mindful awareness and other techniques can help you calm down to start addressing your schedule and needs, and what help you can get is essential.
That’s why your mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MCBT) treatment will include:
Cognitive Therapy
MCBT includes all the techniques and skills you will learn during standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT has been used by many to help you recognize negative thought patterns, stop them, and rethink the problem in a way that supports your mental health and body.
Mindfulness Meditation
In addition to the CBT techniques you will learn, you will also learn mindfulness practices. One of the more powerful tools will be meditation. Meditation can help slow things down, allowing you to explore your feelings in a calmer state.
Meditation can also be used as a tool for self-discovery. This way, you can work through your difficult emotions and how you feel and think about challenging situations within your own internal safe space.
Mindfulness Stretching and Yoga
Another mindfulness activity we may encourage you to start is stretching and yoga. Both stretching and yoga help you release pent-up physical and even emotional distress. Learning how to breathe through the movements, building up core muscles, and increasing your flexibility while working to stay in the present moment and focus on your body can help with reducing symptoms of chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. It’s also great for your physical health.
Body Scan Exercises
Another exercise we may encourage you to take part in is what’s known as body scan exercises. This exercise is a specific type of meditation where you lie down and explore different areas of your body, usually from your toes to the top of your head. This exercise works to help ground your body in the present, which can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and detachment.
Reasons to Choose Back Bay Mental Health
MBCT offers many benefits, allowing you to get control over your negative thoughts and care for your well-being at the same time. However, if you are struggling with mental health, relationship issues, or even addiction, then the chances are you need additional support and help.
At Back Bay Mental Health, you can get all the support you need to make big strides in your personal goals. We offer everything you need in a luxury, supportive environment within easy reach of the university and downtown area in Boston.
With us, you’ll get:
An Intensive Outpatient Program
Intensive outpatient programs are ideal for those who need ongoing or intensive care for their mental health. Intensive outpatient programs can help you recover after reaching a “rock bottom” state. For example, if you were put through an inpatient addiction recovery program or if you were hospitalized due to your mental health.
Of course, we can help you even if you don’t need intensive care. We can help you adjust to big life changes and can help you manage your depression while still making time for the rest of your life, including your studies or work.
With us, you’ll build the tools you need to understand your mental health and relationships with others and build the skills necessary to thrive in life.
Psychiatric, Behavioral, and Group Therapy Under One Roof
Our Boston practice has psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors on hand to offer you a truly rounded treatment plan. We can offer you medication management, behavioral treatments, group sessions, and holistic health skills under one roof. This holistic approach means we can treat you from diagnosis onwards.
Luxury Facility in Boston, MA
Our facility is designed with luxury, comfort, and privacy in mind. You can have sessions with your therapist, psychiatrist, and group counselors in utter comfort.
Our practice is within easy reach of the university and downtown areas. This way, you’ll be just around the corner from expert help and support from our team, whether you’re a student at university or a working professional.
Personalized Treatment Plans for Every Patient
We take a patient-focused approach for all of our clients. This way, we can help diagnose you with any disorders you may have, make note of your personal goals, and if you have any treatment preferences. You may prefer a more holistic approach towards your care so you can learn how to explore your feelings, behavior, and even your relationships in a healthier way.
Not only will we use you as the basis to devise your treatment plan, but we will also continuously monitor all of our clients. We take note of what is working for you and what isn’t. We’ll then offer different treatments, medications, group sessions, and more until we find the best approach for your needs.
Extended Opening Hours
Our practice has extended opening hours. This way, we can accommodate students who need the flexibility to fit in sessions around their classes, responsibilities, and social life, as well as working professionals who need evening sessions. Not only can we fit you in during odd hours, but we can also adjust your sessions if your schedule changes. This way, you can get more (or less) support during your exam season or before a big deadline.
Ready to Get Started with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Today?
We can help you reach your life goals. We can help you if you struggle with your education or your profession or even if you are facing relationship issues because of your anxiety.
Regardless of your mental health needs, we are here for you. As a private practice, there is no waiting list, so you can get started with treatment quickly and at the frequency that suits you best.
We even accept insurance from many of the major insurance providers.
You’ll have a robust range of treatments from licensed professionals with us. So get in touch with our team today. We’ll book you in for an evaluation and then work on creating your very own personalized treatment plan.